Adaptive screen timeouts based on user preferences, interaction patterns and active applications

A computing device, comprising:

• a display providing a graphical user interface;
• a processor configured to:
• cause the display to enter a sleep mode restricting use of the graphical user interface after a predetermined sleep time without receiving any user inputs;
• increase the predetermined sleep time to an adjusted longer sleep time responsive to a first user input received within a predetermined period of time after entry of the sleep mode, and storing the adjusted longer sleep time as a replacement for the predetermined sleep time;
• and,
• decrease the first sleep time to an adjusted shorter sleep time responsive to a number of multiple occurrences above a predetermined value of a second user input received by the display directing the display to enter the sleep mode before passage of the first sleep time, and storing the adjusted shorter sleep time associated with the first application thereby replacing the first sleep time.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a non-transitory computer storage medium having a computer program encoded thereon that when executed by a processor in a computing device adjusts a sleep time for a display of the computing device to enter a sleep mode restricting use of a graphical user interface of the display, the computer program including code for:
• executing a first set of a plurality of executable instructions defining a plurality of applications for the computing device, the first set of instructions implementing a first application of the plurality of applications;
• causing the display to enter the sleep mode after a first sleep time without receiving any user inputs, the first sleep time associated with the first application;
• increasing the first sleep time to an adjusted longer sleep time responsive to a first user input received within a predetermined period of time after entry of the sleep mode, and storing the adjusted longer sleep time associated with the first application thereby replacing the first sleep time;
• and,
• decrease the first sleep time to an adjusted shorter sleep time responsive to a number of multiple occurrences above a predetermined value of a second user input received by the display directing the display to enter the sleep mode before passage of the first sleep time, and storing the adjusted shorter sleep time associated with the first application thereby replacing the first sleep time.

A method for adjusting sleep times for a display of a computing device to enter a sleep mode restricting use of a graphical user interface on the display, comprising the steps of:

• executing a first set of a plurality of executable instructions to implement a first application, the plurality of executable instructions defining a plurality of applications for the device;
• causing the display to enter the sleep mode after a first sleep time without receiving any user inputs, the first sleep time associated with the first application;
• increasing the first sleep time to an adjusted longer sleep time responsive to a first user input received within a predetermined period of time after entry of the sleep mode, and storing the adjusted longer sleep time associated with the first application thereby replacing the first sleep time;
• and,
• decrease the first sleep time to an adjusted shorter sleep time responsive to a number of multiple occurrences above a predetermined value of a second user input received by the display directing the display to enter the sleep mode before passage of the first sleep time, and storing the adjusted shorter sleep time associated with the first application thereby replacing the first sleep time.